1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, a recording medium and a program, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus and method capable of executing transmission/reception of information intuitively and easily.
2. Description of Related Art
Various technologies have been proposed recently, in which various information is directly input to a display apparatus such as a television receiver, without superposing a touch panel or the like on the display apparatus.
For example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. HEI-11-53111 (pp. 5 and 6, paragraphs [0028] to [0030]) discloses that information corresponding to an operation by a user or information recorded in a card presented by a user is detected in accordance with a light amount of an infrared ray emitted from the inside to the outside of a display apparatus (an information input/output apparatus) and a light amount of a reflection light thereof. A user can input predetermined information to the display apparatus without operating a mouse or a keyboard.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. HEI-7-175420 describes an organic EL element constituting a display apparatus capable of display with emitting light in accordance with information written by an optical input method.
However, there is one issue of a limit of the amount of information capable of being input in a predetermined time period, in a case where information corresponding to an operation by a user or information recorded in a card presented by a user is to be input to the display apparatus.
One approach to inputting information to a display apparatus is to provide the display apparatus with a module capable of communications using a so-called wireless local area network (LAN) such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a, 802.11b or the like or Bluetooth (registered trademark), which are rapidly prevailing in recent years, and to input (transmit) information by wireless communications from an information terminal provided with a similar communication module to the display apparatus. However, there is an issue of complicated settings before communications start and difficulties in inputting information.
Furthermore, since a user instructs data transmission by using a screen of the information terminal, information cannot be input more intuitively than a case in which information is directly input to a display apparatus provided with, for example, a touch panel (a case in which a display part is depressed directly).
The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances and allows information transmission/reception to/from a display apparatus to be performed intuitively and easily.
An information processing apparatus of the present invention is one for controlling driving display means having a transistor disposed in each pixel for switching between conduction and non-conduction in response to an applied voltage and outputting a signal in response to a light reception. The information processing apparatus comprises control means for controlling a voltage applied to the transistor to switch between display driving (mode of pixel being driven for display) and photo detection driving (mode of pixel being driven for photo detection) of each pixel; and detecting means for detecting an external input in accordance with a signal output upon reception of light by the transistor, disposed in a pixel under the light reception driving under control of the control means.
The control means may apply a positive voltage to the transistor disposed in the pixel under the display driving and a voltage near 0 V to the transistor disposed in the pixel under the photo detection driving.
In a case where an electroluminescent element is disposed in each pixel of the display means, the electroluminescent element being connected to the transistor and emitting light while the transistor is conductive, the detecting means may further detect the external input in accordance with a signal output upon reception of light by the electric field light emitting element not emitting light.
The control means may display a detection area constituted of a plurality of pixels under the light reception driving on the display means, by controlling a voltage applied to the transistors.
The information processing apparatus of the present invention may further comprise focusing means for focusing an object positioned away from a surface of the display means upon the pixels constituting the detection area, wherein the detecting means detects as the external input an image of the object focused by the focusing means on the pixels constituting the detection area.
The detecting means may detect as the external input a figure image representative of predetermined data displayed on another information processing apparatus, in accordance with a signal output from the transistors disposed in the pixels constituting the detection area.
The figure image may be two-dimensional codes representative of data having a predetermined data amount.
The control means may further form on the display means a display area constituted of a plurality of pixels under the display driving in an area different from the detection area.
In a case where an electroluminescent element is disposed in each pixel of the display means, the electroluminescent element being connected to the transistor and emitting light while the transistor is conductive, the control means may control the voltage applied to the transistor in such a manner that the detection area is constituted of pixels in which electroluminescent elements having a high light reception sensitivity relative to light having a predetermined wavelength emitted from the electroluminescent elements disposed in the pixels constituting the display area.
The information processing apparatus of the present invention may further comprise generating means for generating a figure image representative of predetermined data to be output to another information processing apparatus and display control means for making the pixels constituting the display area display the figure image generated by the generating means.
The control means may form the detection area near the display area, and the detecting means may detect an external input in accordance with a signal output when the transistors disposed in the pixels constituting the detection area receive reflected light of light emitted from the pixels constituting the display area.
The detecting means may detect that, as the external input, a predetermined object is in contact or proximity of a surface of the display means.
The control means may further move sequentially positions of the pixels constituting the detection area, together with the pixels constituting the display area, and the detecting means may detect, as the external input, area information of an object in contact with or close to the surface of the display means, in accordance with a signal output upon reception of light by the transistors disposed in the pixels constituting the detection area receive reflected light of light emitted from the pixels constituting the display area.
An information processing method of the present invention is one for an information processing apparatus for controlling driving display means having a transistor disposed in each pixel for switching between conduction and non-conduction in response to an applied voltage and outputting a signal in response to a light reception. The information processing method comprises a control step of controlling a voltage applied to the transistor to switch between display driving and photo detection driving of each pixel; and a detecting step of detecting an external input in accordance with a signal output upon reception of light by the transistor disposed in a pixel under the light reception driving under control by a process of the control step.
A recording medium of the present invention is one recording therein a program for making a computer execute a process of driving display means having a transistor disposed in each pixel for switching between conduction and non-conduction in response to an applied voltage and outputting a signal in response to a light reception. The program comprises a control step of controlling a voltage applied to the transistor to switch between display driving and photo detection driving of each pixel; and a detecting control step of detecting an external input in accordance with a signal output upon reception of light by the transistor disposed in a pixel under the light reception driving under control by a process of the control step.
A program of the present invention one for making a computer execute a process of driving display means having a transistor disposed in each pixel for switching between conduction and non-conduction in response to an applied voltage and outputting a signal in response to a light reception. The program comprises a control step of controlling a voltage applied to the transistor to switch between display driving and photo detection driving of each pixel; and a detecting control step of detecting an external input in accordance with a signal output upon reception of light by the transistor disposed in a pixel under the light reception driving under control by a process of the control step.
In the information processing apparatus and method, recording medium and program of the present invention, by controlling the voltage applied to the transistor, the display driving or photo detection driving of each pixel is selectively controlled, and the external input is detected in accordance with a signal output upon reception of light by the transistor, disposed in the pixel under the light reception driving.
According to the present invention, a display and an external input detection can be performed.
According to the present invention, data can be fetched from an external apparatus by a more intuitive and easy operation, and data can be transferred easily to the external apparatus.